Olivia Dunne’s ‘Concerned’ Coach Shares Insights on LSU vs Alabama Match Setbacks

Olivia Dunne, one of LSU’s prominent gymnast and social media sensations, is again making headlines with her overwhelming speech on winning a national championship. With the commendable performance of No.2, LSU outperforming Alabama in gymnastics, they secured a whopping victory with a total score of 198.325 over the 197.325 of Alabama. It is the third loss of the season for Alabama, placing them at No.9. After this win, Olivia Dunne has discussed her team’s chances of securing the NCAA title as well. But the tour de force here is her coach who came in clutch.

With an April tournament underway for LSU, she highlighted the importance of capturing a national championship for the team in an interview with SEC Network. There were slight hiccups in the match though, which caught the eye of Jay Clark. He showcased his disappointment over the audience missing the start of the match, attributing the early match time and suspended ticket sales as the cause.

Olivia Dunne’s coach’s critique on the timing of matches

The highly anticipated clash between LSU and the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center initially unfolded amidst a disappointing sight with the late crowd at the match. Despite the match’s excitement, the stands remained noticeably empty as the game commenced. Olivia Dunne’s head Coach Jay Clark expressed his concerns in the press meet on LSU Sports and stated that even after seeing the empty seats, “We just stayed with it”.

He further added, “It felt weird at first” since Tigers had to start performing in front of a low-energy crowd who showed up at their own pace. And as the game progressed, however, a sudden shift occurred, and the audience began trickling into the arena. This indeed injected much-needed excitement and energy into the atmosphere. However, Jay Clark emphasized the fact that the suspension of ticket sales two days before the match and the 5 O’clock start time are the reasons for vacant seats. However, he expressed gratitude lastly for the eventual crowd presence, which is a resounding testament to the energy subsuming powers that LSU holds in the palm of its hands.

Jay Clark acknowledges crowd attendance with gratitude

LSU Gymnastics, still revered for its glorious history, exerted its dominance over Alabama under the tutelage of Coach Jay Clark, showcasing superior technique at the bar, beam, and on the floor. With Alabama unable to lead the Tigers even once in the whole game, the Tigers secured their eighth home victory of the season and kept their perfect 8-0 record. Ella Burgess of the Crimson Tide won one event championship (a 9.95 on the balancing beam), while Haleigh Bryant of the Tigers won the other four titles effortlessly.

Read More: Olivia Dunne’s Coach Spells ‘Doomed’ Reality for the Future of Gymnastics

Yet, Jay Clark emphasized that while crowd support is valuable in boosting players’ energy, the commitment to deliver the best performance must stem from the players themselves. Lastly, he expressed that once fans drove into the venerable hall of the Pete Maravich Stadium, resounding cheers and clamoring for LSU took place, so it all came full circle after all. Up next, LSU will go head to head against Auburn, George Washington and Texas Woman’s respectively on March 8th in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Raising Cane’s River Center.